Parting the Roots
Black Luck Collective and Simone Wright – 2019
“Parting The Roots works to educate and engage the Canadian public by sharing the history, politics and art behind Black hair. It sheds light on the misconceptions concerning Black hair and the styles worn. Parting The Roots is an opportunity to normalize, inspire and empower Black individuals with their hair in any state, while celebrating the uniqueness, diversity and dopeness of Black hair.” – Simone Wright
Organized by Black Luck Collective (Lavie Williams and Mofi Badmos), this window project by Simone Wright is made up of six sections, starting with the early times in Africa where hair was used as a messenger to communicate with one another and to indicate the status of individuals in their tribes.
The exhibition then takes guests on a journey through the effects of slavery on Black hair and the start of policing of Black hair, the Jim Crow era, and the “business” of Black hair. The final sections explore Black hair through the Civil Rights Movement, the fine line between cultural appropriation and appreciation and, what is next, what the hope is for the future and what might be.
Black Luck Collective would like to thank our sponsors and partners in this endeavor for without their contributions and support, bringing this exhibition to Kingston would have not been possible. Special thanks are extended to the Human Rights and Equity Office of Queen’s University, Cher-Mère Spa of The Herbarium Ltd., Kingston Frontenac Public Library, and of course, Modern Fuel Artist-Run Centre for their gracious assistance and help, countless hours and allowing us the much needed and desired space.
About the Artists
Parting the Roots (Simone Wright), Black Luck Collective (Lavie Williams and Mofi Badmos)
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About ‘Parting the Roots’
Parting the Roots was founded by Simone Wright “after experiencing many negatives responses to her hair. She was motivated to final kick start this organization after one specific experience that left her feeling like there was a real gap in understanding. She realized that non-Black people didn’t understand the evolution of Black hair through history, and how various historical events and periods have shaped Black culture today.” (from Parting the Roots website)
Simone Wright is a businesswoman in the field of market research and insights. She is an activist bringing attention to Black histories, Black hair, and the Black identity in Canada and enjoys taking cultural dance classes during her free time. Simone started Parting The Roots in 2017.
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About Black Luck Collective
Kingston has a growing Black population and creating opportunities to support one another and enjoy living in Kingston is vital to a good quality of life. Black Luck Collective is about inviting and the coming-together of new and seasoned Black Kingstonians to see, to know, that they are not isolated here and to uncover our dependable and visible community. Black Luck is imagined as an informal community meet-up group – which hosts social, professional, and educational occasions in Kingston particular to the Black community. Parting the Roots at Modern Fuel is Black Luck’s kick-start and first foray into organizing opportunities for collective connections.